Oscar nominations 2010: the key films

Oscar nominations 2010: the key films

Nineteen films garnered more than one nomination for the 82nd annual Academy Awards. Catherine Shoard counts them down

Catherine Shoard

Tuesday 2 February 2010 12.50 EST
First published on Tuesday 2 February 2010 12.50 EST

Nine nominations:

James Cameron's 3D space saga Avatar tops the Oscar nominations tally with nine nods, including best director and best picture. But there will be disappointment that it failed to score any recognition for its actors or for its soundtrack, particularly Leona Lewis's theme tune, I See YouPhotograph: PR

Nine nominations:

The Iraq bomb disposal drama The Hurt Locker by Cameron's ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow, however, mopped up rather more nominations than predicted, including best actor for Jeremy Renner and best original score (for Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders), to tie with Avatar for the leadPhotograph: Courtesy of Summit Entertainment/PR

Eight nominations:

Perhaps the really big winner at this stage was Quentin Tarantino's second world war farce, Inglourious Basterds, which far exceeded expectations to pick up eight nominations. As well as the predicted nod for Christoph Waltz in the best supporting actor category, Tarantino himself was named for his direction and screenplay, as well as for best picturePhotograph: PR

Six nominations:

Mo'Nique is regarded as something of a dead cert for best supporting actress in Precious, Lee Daniels's Sundance-winning saga about an abused black teenager in Harlem, but there was also a surprise nomination for lead Gabourey Sidibe in her debut film rolePhotograph: PR

Six nominations:

Jason Reitman's corporate comedy Up in the Air led the Golden Globe nominations but failed to close the deal when it came to the gongs. However, it is up in all the big Oscar categories, including best lead actor for George Clooney, picture and adapted screenplay, as well as twice in the supporting actress racePhotograph: PR

Four nominations:

Nine, Rob Marshall's Fellini-inspired musical, wasn't a great hit with the critics, but it has nonetheless picked up four nods, though only one for its acting (for Penélope Cruz; Daniel Day-Lewis is a notable omission)Photograph: PR

Three nominations:

Word was that Jeff Bridges's turn as a washed-up country singer in Crazy Heart was better than the film itself – but it has picked up a couple of nominations other than best actor: for best song and a shock nod for co-star Maggie GyllenhaalPhotograph: PR

Three nominations:

Husband and wife team Nick Hornby and Amanda Posey are in the running for two Oscars for An Education: he's recognised for his adapted screenplay based on Lynn Barber's memoir; she's in the best picture race as one of the producers of Lone Scherfig's film. Carey Mulligan also got a much-hoped-for nod for best actressPhotograph: PR

Three nominations:

Not one but two Randy Newman tunes in Disney's love letter to New Orleans, The Princess and the Frog, were recognised in the best song category, possibly nudging out the likes of Leona Lewis and AR Rahman (whose Na Na from Couples Retreat got a nod at the Golden Globes). An expected nomination for best animation gave it a hat-trickPhotograph: PR

Two nominations:

Two nominations:

Had Michael Haneke's fascist parable The White Ribbon been left off the best foreign film list, the European press would most likely have staged a mass boycott. As it turned out, the Academy also recogised it for best cinematographyPhotograph: PR

Two nominations:

The costumes and art direction of Terry Gilliam's London-set fantasia picked up nominations, but there was sadly nothing for the acting talent in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, including Heath Ledger and Lily ColePhotograph: PR

Two nominations:

Two nominations:

The sober drama The Messenger, still to be released in the UK, is about a soldier who becomes involved with the widow of a dead colleague. It received a best supporting actor nomination for Woody Harrelson as well as a nod for Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman's original screenplay Photograph: PR

From the Avatar-Hurt Locker exes smackdown to Kathryn Bigelow's talismanic best director nod, the surprises to the lamented misses, our writers give their verdicts on the nominations for the 82nd annual Academy Awards